In the Garden of Angels
by Zokita
Summary: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers X-over. After the battle with Beryl ends in tragedy, Usagi begins a new life as Serena of Angel Grove. Five teenagers with attitude will soon need her help to defeat Rita Repulsa and reclaim the moon.
1. Day of Discovery Part 1

Author Notes: My first crossover attempt in a long time. I have part of Chapter 2 written, but I'm having trouble with how to have "Serena" regain her powers. It should get better, though. This is just the beginning! (well duh, it's Chapter 1.)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Power Rangers or Sailor Moon. Disney and Naoko Takeuchi do.

_In the Garden of Angels_

Prologue: Moonfall

In the chill of the night at the North Pole, the former Princess of the Moon stood alone against the great evil that threatened to consume the world. Together with her fellow Sailor Soldiers, she had defended the people of Tokyo in a never-ending series of battles that led up to this final confrontation.

She'd lost almost everything. The four girls she'd grown closest to, the ones she shared everything with, were dead. Brave, strong, compassionate Makoto had thrown herself into an unwinnable fight to keep Usagi alive to the end. Gentle, patient, intelligent Ami had died similarly, her body lying broken on an icicle. Beautiful, exuberant, lovely Minako was dead too, her once vibrant golden hair spilling limply over the vines that trapped her corpse. Even fiery, boisterous, confident Rei was now gone, her last regret being that she hadn't kissed her love goodbye.

Losing them had hurt terribly, but the death of her Mamo-chan had hit her like a sword through the heart. She'd hovered over him with tears in her eyes, not believing what she was seeing. The arrogant, cocky, but somehow lovable and caring Mamoru who had been her knight in the black tuxedo had died in this ugly war as well. The five people she'd trusted her life with no longer existed. Serenity wielded her power for their sake, pouring all her remaining passion into the Silver Crystal. The Crystal shined at the end of the wand, pushing the dark waves of Metallia away from her, her only remaining protection against the darkness that had consumed so much.

But what was this? Serenity almost dropped her concentration in surprise when four transparent gloved hands reached out, gripping the wand and anchoring her there. The ghostly presences wrapped around her like diamond armor, shielding her from the darkness that otherwise might have consumed her mind. Her friends...they couldn't be there with her, could they?

**"**Mercury Power!" A blue glow entered the tiny crystal shining through the night, bringing with it the gentle patience that was uniquely Mercury.

"Mars Power!" A red glow joined it, giving the crystal the warmth and passion of Sailor Mars.

"Jupiter Power!" A green glow followed, bringing forth the courage and strength that characterized Jupiter.

"Venus Power!" A golden glow encased the crystal, representing the love and light of the soldier of Venus.

"Moon Prism Power!" Drawing strength from all her friends, Princess Serenity sent her light into the galaxy, piercing the darkness that Queen Metallia had brought upon the earth. They had done it. Serenity's loyal friends and guardians had given their lives to end this dark war once and for all and to put the past behind them.

As Sailor Moon, the last of the Sailor Soldiers, plummeted into oblivion, she wished with all her heart that she could somehow be free again. She couldn't have known it, but that was also the wish of a certain occupant of a certain dumpster on the Moon. Rita Repulsa and Usagi Tsukino would both find a new beginning in Angel Grove, California, though each was on a mission to destroy the other. Though a new life and a new place were in store for "Serena Tuckerson", she couldn't escape her duity no matter how far she ran.

* * *

The first indicator of Serena Tuckerson's changing future in Angel Grove came at 8 in the morning on her fourth day of classes. As it happened, she was supposed to rise and get ready for school two hours previously. All wise family members in the immediate vicinity promptly plugged their ears, fending off the oncoming assault of Serena's famous wail---

"Eek, I'm late again! Ms. Applebee'll have me in detention for life!"

Ah, there it was. The Tuckerson family wisely steered clear of their adopted daughter as she raced through the house, hair ties and papers flying everywhere. With a frantic wave, she bolted out the door and down the street, hoping to make it to Angel Grove High before the 8:14 bell.

Unknown to Serena, a black cat with a bandaged forehead watched the girl race into the distance from Serena's bedroom window, shaking her head and smiling sadly. Oddly enough, the cat opened its mouth and spoke, voice full of longing for the happiness that was lost. "Oh, Usagi. Some things never change, do they?"

* * *

Today was not Serena's day at all. Ms. Applebee had assigned Usagi to yet another day of detention, much to the amusement of her two 'detention buddies', Farkus Bulkmeyer and Eugene Skullovitch. Upon the announcement that Serena would be joining them yet again that afternoon, the two bullies of Angel Grove slid their desks uncomfortably close to hers.

"It's a date, princess." Skull declared, clicking his tongue in what he must have thought was a seductive gesture. Serena only snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, hope you like sharing with the Bulkmeister, sweetheart." This may not have sounded threatening to an outsider, but Serena knew well what he meant. Bulk would be relieving her of her treasured afternoon snacks once again. And a not-sugared-up Serena was a very unhappy Serena.

Five sympathetic glances passed over the blonde newcomer from across the room. After years of evading the duo's schemes, they would never wish an afternoon with Bulk and Skull on anyone. Well…okay, maybe Zack would pay to watch Bulk and Skull with Rita. Even the evil sorceress they were fighting would probably be driven to the end of her rope by those two.

"Poor Serena." The dark-haired girl in a yellow blouse looked upon Serena sympathetically, voicing all the Ranger's thoughts.

"Yeah---quality time with Bulk and Skull? Harsh." Her best friend in pink chimed in, shaking her head.

"The punishment far exceeds the crime." The boy in blue overalls and glasses sitting with them nodded, feeling a twinge of pity for the newest addition to the class. She seemed like such a nice girl too.

"Think we should do something?" The dark-skinned boy in a striped polo fiddled with his pen, looking over at the girl. She looked so resigned to life in detention---and that just wasn't right.

"If she swings by the Youth Center, we'll talk to her." The apparent leader of the group, a dark haired boy in red, seemed to close the conversation as they all returned to their worksheets.

* * *

Detention with Bulk and Skull that afternoon had been pretty much the same as the past three days for Serena. Skull would occasionally tug on one of her pigtails, Bulk would shovel down all the food in the proximity of the classroom, and Usagi would stare out a window, bored out of her mind. There was one notable event today, though: she could've sworn she saw a cat that looked exactly like her Luna staring back at her from a nearby tree branch. The cat leapt off the branch with the usual feline grace and sped off---was it Serena, or was this cat up to something?

At that moment, a half-chewed pen happened to collide with the side of her head. "Hey, spaghettihead, you comin'?"

Skull was standing in the doorway, giving her an odd look. Her eyes flicked above his head to the time---wow, was it 3:30 already? She gathered her books and pushed past him out the door, ready to head home and fill her grumbling stomach. There was that science test to study for too, she supposed, but right now her priorities were to eat and sleep.

"So you headin' to the Youth Center?" Great. Bulk had fallen into step beside her, as if their detention adventures had earned him Best Buddy status in her book. She wasn't that lonely and desperate, was she?

She stopped to consider, though. She'd heard the Youth Center mentioned a lot in homeroom---apparently her classmates often went there to get a snack, work out, or hang out after school. Maybe she could give the place a try---getting a snack before she headed home couldn't hurt.

"Sure, lead the way." Serena cringed just a little. She really didn't want to hang with Bulk and Skull any longer than necessary, but they were her only guides to this mysterious Youth Center place. They chattered and kicked garbage along the street the whole way, leaving Serena to awkwardly trail behind them while pretending she wasn't.

* * *

Bulk, ever the gentleman when he wanted something, opened the door for Serena and slipped inside behind her. Skull maneuvered in front of her, sweeping an arm at their surroundings.

"The Angel Grove Youth Center, second home of our fine city's fun-loving teenagers. Ah, memories---we've made so many new _friends _here over the years, haven't we Bulk?"

Bulk threw an arm around his partner in crime, lost in many memories of troublemaking. "Ah, I remember them well. Little Jimmy, giver of our smoothies on a hot summer day. Amber, the girl who shined our shoelaces. And there's Chris, who purchased our entire collection of motivational tapes."

"Don't forget Kimberly, the friend who rescues nice new transfer students from slimeballs such as yourselves." A hand landed on Serena's arm as the new voice spoke, and Serena caught a glimpse of the pink-clad girl from homeroom out of the corner of her eye. "Come on, Serena, you don't want to hang around these guys. I think they're contagious."

A chorus of chuckles followed the statement. Serena turned to find the source of the laughter, and noticed the girl's---Kimberly's---group of friends. One by one, they added their contributions to the mockery of Bulk and Skull.

"Or Trini, the one who's always there to dodge your advances." The dark-haired girl in yellow spoke up next, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Or Jason, the one who could take you both in a fight with my hands behind my back." Jason was the dark-haired boy in red, apparently, who had big muscles and an even bigger smile, Serena noted.

"Or Billy, who currently estimates that your chances of successfully keeping Serena on your side are rapidly approaching zero." That was the boy in blue, with the sandy hair and round glasses.

"Or Zack, the one who's always there to throw off your groove." The dark-skinned boy added, spinning on his heel and making a silly pose.

"So stay away from her, creeps!" Kim finished, sliding her grip to Serena's wrist and guiding the girl to the table the five friends sat at every day. "Sorry you had to put up with them, Serena. Those guys just love to make things harder for the rest of us."

Serena shook her head, still feeling somewhat dazed. "It wasn't that bad---why'd you do that, anyway"

"They've had it coming for a _long_ time." Zack let out a small chuckle. "Those guys just don't know when to quit."

"It would be preferable if they ceased all attempts at gaining favorability with women." Billy added smartly, though Serena's eyes had glazed over by about the fourth word.

"Huh?" Serena thought she'd said it, but three other voices had spoken in unison with hers. As she looked up, Jason, Zack, and Kim had all turned to Trini expectantly.

"He said they should stop hitting on girls." Trini translated dutifully. "And he's right. Did they try anything on you, Serena?"

"Nothing too gross. Skull seemed to like my hair though." Serena shuddered, trying desperately to rid her hair of Skull-germs by combing frantically through the ends of her pigtails. Trini and Kim shot her sympathetic looks. If he touched either girl's hair, Skull would soon find himself eating dirt.

"Anyway, you're better off here with us. I'm Jason, and this is---"

"Trini, Billy, Kimberly, and Zack." Serena finished, pointing to each as she said their names. "I caught your names while you were telling off Bulk and Skull." She nodded, pleased with herself for having memorized something successfully that day. Unfortunately for her grades, she tended to hit a limit of one important memorization a day. And it was not the Periodic Table of the Elements' day.

Jason nodded. "You can hang here with us if you want. Ernie makes some good snacks if you're hungry, and we usually train on the mats over there." He needn't have spoken, though, for Serena's eyes had already locked on her entertainment of choice: the currently unoccupied video game console sitting across the way.

"I'll be right back!" Serena smiled, leaping up from the table and shuffling the quarters in her pockets. Kim was disappointed at watching her leave so soon, but as it turned out, it had been for the best. Their communicators beeped a familiar jingle in unison, the call of Zordon interrupting their fun day at the center. They left their things behind, slipping into the back room of the center for privacy.

Jason picked up his communicator first. "We read you, Zordon."

"RANGERS, REPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER AT ONCE. WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION."

The Rangers pressed the buttons on their communicators as one, vanishing in a flash of color.

* * *

Meanwhile, Serena pumped her fist in the air in glee. "I beat the high score! I blew right past the tanks, flipped over the towers and---guys? Hey, where'd they go?"

Serena approached the abandoned table, frowning at the scattered books and papers surrounding it. "They couldn't even tell me they were leaving? Some friends."

She slumped over the table with a sigh, ignoring the quiet laughter coming from the direction of Bulk and Skull.


	2. Day of Discovery Part 2

AN: Well, here we go with Part 2! Sailor Moon steps back into action in this chapter. Let's see how the Rangers handle the new arrival.

And in case anyone's wondering about Tommy Oliver, I do have plans for him in this story. Don't expect him for a little while yet, but when he does show up---it'll probably be around the halfway point, and things will get ugly. See you then!

* * *

"I've found it at last! With this power, those Power Geeks won't stand a chance!"

Rita Repulsa's loyal minions looked on as their empress swung about her newest treasure gleefully. Whatever she'd found, it had to be good if it'd brought Rita such joy.

"What is it, Boss?" Squatt angled his head, trying to peek around Baboo for a glimpse of the object.

"This, you fools, is a shard of the Black Crystal! I knew Beryl, that sweetheart, would be kind enough to leave a parting gift for us." The thought filled Rita with exhilaration. This was the sweetest sort of revenge she could have wished for.

"…Beryl, my empress?" Finster appeared confused. He'd never heard Rita mention that name before. Who was she?

Rita clenched her fist tightly, the raw memories bubbling angrily to the surface like vomit up the throat. _Beryl. _The opportunistic witch who had stolen Rita's glory, ruined her palace, and destroyed her reputation---all in the name of squashing some moon brat.

"Forget about that, you numbskulls! She's in the past---now let's finish the Power Rangers forever!" With a cackle, she lifted what remained of the Black Crystal to her lunar wand.

"Now, my crystal, grant me your power! To the destruction of the Power Rangers!"

"To the destruction of the Power Rangers!" The gathered minions chorused gleefully with Rita as the Black Crystal's power crackled around Rita's wand, granting a new monster-creating power that would give Rita the edge she needed. Now, the Rangers' morals would be put to the test! They could fight her clay Putties without a shred of remorse, but what about an ordinary civilian transformed into a monster by her newest spell?

Rita wasn't normally one to give a conniving witch like Beryl credit, but here, at least, she had to concede that the woman had been creative. You had to be if you were going to conquer a commandingly persuasive queen with an almighty silver crystal.

But Beryl was dead, and the glorious task of conquering Earth had been left to Rita. With a steady wave of her lunar wand, her newest spell descended upon her chosen victim. Now _this _would be entertainment---the pre-show to her main event of destruction!

* * *

Elsewhere, the five Power Rangers appeared before Zordon in a flash of light.

"What is it, Zordon?" Trini asked.

"RANGERS, I'M AFRAID WE HAVE A GRAVE SITUATION ON OUR HANDS. RITA REPULSA HAS FOUND A WAY TO TRANSFORM ORDINARY CITIZENS OF ANGEL GROVE INTO HER NEWEST ARMY OF MONSTERS."

"No way! She can't do that." Kim fought back the terror that was threatening to take over her voice. She couldn't---wouldn't---use her Power Bow against an ordinary person who'd stumbled across Rita's path.

"Way, Kimberly." Alpha added sadly. "Observe the viewing globe,"

The Ranges gathered around the viewing globe, and the sight that greeted them was truly gruesome. They watched helplessly as one of Rita's putties fired a ray of black energy at a small boy, causing him to scream in terror. A tiny golden ball of light left his body, and the boy's form started to change---it grew taller and lankier, the skin became scales, claws ripped through the hands and feet, and the face warped into something resembling a cross between a tiger and a velociraptor. It roared and turned on the citizens of Angel Grove gathered in the park, causing them to scatter in a panic.

"What can we do?" Zack finally averted his eyes from the nightmare, feeling subdued for the first time in a while. This wasn't a normal fight. They couldn't hurt the kid.

"Do you know of any antidotes that would reverse the effects of the transformation?" Billy inquired, frowning at the sight---he'd never seen molecular mutation like that before.

"We'll get him back without hurting him." Jason decided. "But we can't let everyone in Angel Grove get hurt either."

"I AM AFRAID THERE IS NO KNOWN ANTIDOTE, AND IT WOULD TAKE FAR MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE TO DEVELOP ONE. RANGERS, YOU MUST FIGHT THIS BATTLE. TRY TO CONTAIN THE MONSTER AND AVOID HARMING IT IF YOU CAN. ALPHA AND I WILL CONTACT YOU IF WE DEVISE A SOLUTION."

"I guess we've gotta do what we've gotta do." Zack said, and the others nodded in agreement. Now wasn't the time for idling around and wishing things were different. They had a boy and a city to save, and they would. Somehow. Hopefully.

"It's morphin' time!" Jason ordered, reaching for the morpher on his back belt. The others quickly followed suit.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-Toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

With that, the Rangers warped out of the Command Center and into battle. Zordon watched as Alpha set to work pressing buttons in his frantic search for a cure, hoping against hope that the Rangers would pull through this time.

* * *

Back at the Youth Center, in a back corner that even Ernie rarely ventured to, a sleek black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead was flicking her paws across a keypad. Her strangely human blue eyes were fixed on the attached screen. Luna hoped against hope that the connection would go through. They'd promise to stay in touch, but establishing a video link between California and Japan was more difficult than it looked.

Luna's call eventually reached the Tsukino household, where a lonely Artemis now resided. She needed his advice now more than ever.

The black cat waited anxiously at the phone, tail swishing impatiently. Surely Artemis wouldn't have gone out at this time of night---the time difference between them had taken some getting used to. But he had to answer! This wasn't a crisis Luna fancied dealing with alone. Finally, there was Artemis, looking frantically over his shoulder as he answered Luna's call.

"Hey, Luna." Artemis's voice sounded different over the phone. "What do you need?"

"Artemis, we have a major problem. Do you remember Rita Repulsa?"

Artemis frowned at the question. Of course he did, but why would she ask? This couldn't be anything good---and after the death of his beloved Minako, he could hardly remember what good news was supposed to feel like. "She was the witch that Beryl worked with for a time before the attack on the Moon Kingdom, right? But she vanished after a while."

"That's the problem." Luna batted at her nose with a paw. This wasn't going to end well. "She's appeared again, and she's set out to conquer Earth. Her minions are attacking here in Angel Grove."

So that was it. Those strange monster attacks he'd read about had reminded him of what the Sailor Soldiers once faced. An evil witch was behind it---no surprise there.

"I've been following the news over there as best I can. I learned some English over in England with---" Artemis choked up for a moment, fighting back a strangled sob at the sudden memory of his former owner happily chattering at him in broken English. Luna averted her eyes, giving her partner a moment to compose himself. After a minute, he continued. "Anyway, from what I could gather, there's a group of superheroes called the Power Rangers protecting the people, isn't there?"

"Yes, but I don't think they can do it alone. I saw one of Rita's minions turn a little boy into a monster over in the park, and that's never happened here before. I don't think the Rangers can heal him."

Artemis sighed, bowing his head. So that's what this was about. He knew Luna better than anyone, and he could safely assume that Luna was arguing with herself over whether to revive Sailor Moon. It was clear as day that Luna loved the moon princess---she'd been the one who'd arranged an adoption for Usagi and started her over with a new life and new identity. She'd erased the Sailor Soldiers from Usagi's memory to spare her from overwhelming sadness and pain. She was obviously reluctant to put the girl through her paces again after all they'd already lost.

"Luna, I know you don't want to do this. We agreed that giving her a normal life would be a good thing, but what would Usagi say? If Usagi knew that people were getting hurt because you wouldn't send her back and let her help, how would she feel?"

"I know that better than anyone! I've spent the past year with her, I've seen her become so strong. I watched her grow up before she was ready, I watched her take on responsibilities that most adults have never faced. I'm proud of her, but she deserves to start over, Artemis. After everything she's lost, she's happy now. And that's all I can want for her."

"Luna…for all we know, Sailor Moon's the only one who can save the boy. She's a brave girl, I know she'll pull through. I think you know what has to be done."

Luna closed her eyes, fighting back a tear. What if the transformation triggered Serena's memories? What if everything she'd lost came back to cripple her? What if she couldn't work with the Rangers the way she'd fought alongside her own guardians? There appeared to be no other choice, though---so she reluctantly relented.

"That's it, then. I'll send you an update later, Artemis." With that, Luna logged off the system and darted off towards the girl with long yellow pigtails in the arcade, hoping she wasn't too late.

"Serena…Usagi…I'm sorry."

* * *

"Billy, behind you!" As the Yellow Ranger, Trini was one of the more graceful and composed Rangers on the battlefield. But nothing set her berserk button off more than the threat of her friends being hurt. With a roar and a leap, she successfully kicked back at the boy-turned-monster and pulled the Blue Ranger out of the line of fire.

"I appreciate your assistance, Trini---hey!" The Blue Ranger noticed the monster's attempt at escape and deftly leapt over it, bringing the Power Lance in front of his chest. He wouldn't allow this kid to harm anyone else.

"That all you got, buddy?" Zack seemed to dance across the quarry, luring the monster in with a weave here and a bob there until his target was too confused by the antics of the Black Ranger to move.

"Steady…don't move!" Kim as the Pink Ranger nervously kept the Power Bow trained on the monster, vowing in her head to only use it as a last resort.

"That's good, guys, keep it cool." The Red Ranger kept the team's morale up with his confidence, fueled by Jason's excellent discipline and leadership skills. Unfortunately, their target was about to spring a nasty little surprise---it sprouted tentacles!

"Look out!" Kim yelled, speeding towards the monster with the hopes of distracting it. Trini and Billy followed Kim's gaze to the monster's torso, watching with bizarre fascination as five pores suddenly opened in the flesh. A slimy tentacle crackling with electricity shot out of each hole, each ensnaring a Ranger. They immediately started writhing in pain, faces contorted behind the helmets. The Rangers needed help, and fast.

* * *

"Eek! Hey, what's the big idea?" Serena stumbled after Luna, who'd surprised the girl by appearing out of nowhere and attacking her skirt. Serena had moved to swat her off, annoyed, but the insistent cat kept evading her grasp. They found themselves in an abandoned storage room a moment later.

"Okay, what is it? You've really been weirding me out today, Luna. First you're hiding in weird places like the laundry basket in the house, then you're outside the window at school, and now you followed me to an arcade just to drag me here?" Serena folded her arms, unimpressed. She just wanted to get back to her video games where kitties who'd spent a little too much time near the catnip wouldn't be bothering her.

Luna stared intensely at Serena, as if she were thinking something through. Suddenly, Serena noticed, the eyes seemed all too human. Were they…was that regret? No way. Serena wasn't high on catnip, she wasn't about to suspect her pet of being a human in a cat's body, no siree---

"I'm sorry, Serena, but I need you to become Sailor Moon." Luna said simply.

"W-why is my cat talking?" Serena's jaw dropped in shock as she staggered backwards, hit hard by the force of everything she knew about reality turning upside down. If her senses weren't fooling her, Luna had just talked. In English. Like a human. This was way too bizarre for her. And what was that about Sailor Moon…? Something about the name felt indescribably familiar, but she didn't have time to ponder that at the moment.

"I'll explain as much as I can later, but we don't have time right now. This is serious! Rita Repulsa has started turning ordinary citizens of Angel Grove into monsters, and you're the only one who can heal them." Luna stared at the girl intently. Not only was her cat talking, but it was talking about those creepy monsters she saw on the news all the time. Thank goodness the Power Rangers were around to handle them!

Serena wasn't quite convinced. But hey, as long as her cat was talking, she might as well be polite and hold up her end of the conversation. "But that's crazy! That's what the Power Rangers are supposed to do, right? You know, the cool people in the bright suits and helmets who are always fighting them off?"

Luna shook her head. "I hoped you wouldn't have to do this, Serena. I wanted to be a normal pet for you, but the battle against Rita is too tough for the Rangers alone. They need you."

Serena slowly seemed to accept this, realizing that this wasn't a nightmare she'd be waking up from. She'd had to pinch herself ten times first, though. "Wait, I can't be a Power Ranger! They fight monsters, and I run from them! I can't kick 'em in the face and flip over 'em and stuff!"

"You're not a Power Ranger, Serena. You're Sailor Moon." There Luna was with that name again. For some reason, some part of her seemed to relax a little upon hearing it. "You can fight like the Rangers, but your powers are different. Like I said, Rita's started turning ordinary people into monsters. The Power Rangers don't have the power to heal them, but you do."

"Sailor Moon? Are you nuts? What's a sailor going to do to save the day?" Serena was slowly backing up, desperate for a way out. They were talking crazy talk now---but something kept her rooted in the storage room. Sailor Moon…that name felt so familiar, but she couldn't imagine why.

"You'll use your moon wand to restore Rita's victims." Luna suddenly leapt up and flipped through the air, and a golden compact appeared in a flash of light. She nudged it towards Serena. "All you have to do is yell 'Moon Prism Power, Make Up!' and you'll become Sailor Moon. Don't be afraid, you'll know what to do."

"Really? It just looks like a pretty brooch to me." Serena picked it up, As soon as her hand touched the metal, a strange jolt shot through her body like fire. The feeling was warm, as though she were reuniting with a long lost piece of herself. She studied the circle and crescent moon in the middle. It really did look familiar.

"Alright, but if I end up looking really stupid when this doesn't work, I'm not feeding you for a week." Serena cast a glance at Luna, who snorted.

"Go ahead, Serena. I promise not to laugh."

"'Kay…Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Suddenly, Serena felt a warm cascade of light run down her body. Her normal clothing disappeared, and she instinctively pressed the compact against her chest. Ribbons shot out of the compact, first wrapping around her torso and forming a leotard. The ribbons raced up her arms, forming white gloves, and down her legs, shaping into red boots. A skirt appeared around her waist next, accompanied by a choker around her neck, tiara on her forehead, and glittering gems on her odango. Sailor Moon struck her finishing pose, and paused to look at the new outfit.

"Whoa…this is way past confusing. Am I supposed to fight in this?" Deep down, she knew the answer. Transforming had felt like being wrapped in a warm embrace, as if voices were whispering in her ear that she would be alright. She felt strong and energized far beyond her normal limits---and still, somehow, she had the feeling she'd done this all before.

"Just focus, and don't give up. I know it will be hard, but the power of the Moon will protect you. I wouldn't put you through this if I didn't believe in you" Luna gazed up at Sailor Moon, a nostalgic feeling settling within her. Just like the first time, but Sailor Moon was stronger now.

Sailor Moon smiled a bit at Luna's encouragement, but this was still strange and scary. Her, a hero? She'd be wearing this tiny outfit and fighting monsters that could tear her apart, all without any sort of practice. Yet deep down, something told her that everything would be alright. "I'll do it."

"Thank you, Serena. The fight's in Angel Grove Park. Let's go!" Luna suddenly raced out the door, leading her princess back into the fray. She could only hope she'd made the right decision.

* * *

"You guys think Zordon's had any ideas yet?" Kim struggled against the tentacle holding her, wishing with all she had that she could think of a way out.

Kim's call was answered by a flash of gold cutting past the monster, slicing each tentacle and freeing the Rangers before it careened back towards its owner. The newcomer fumbled for it, awkwardly slipping her tiara back on her head. A tiara Frisbee? Well, she didn't have a problem with weird weapons if they were useful.

"We're free!" Zack moved into his battle stance, finally catching sight of the strange girl in the sailor uniform. "Hey, who's that?"

Sailor Moon stared down at the kid-turned-monster and the waiting Rangers, suddenly feeling a strange compulsion to introduce herself. The routine was smooth, as though she'd rehearsed it a hundred times before.

"How dare Rita turn a loving person's heart into a weapon of her wickedness! I am the soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And on behalf of the moon, I shall punish evil and set you free!" She finished by striking an oddly familiar pose, pointing and glaring at the monster.

_Great job, Sailor Moon, but what am I supposed to do now?_

The monster answered by baring its warped, pointy claws at the newest hero on the scene. He sprung at Sailor Moon suddenly, barely leaving her enough time to stumble out of the way. She backed up a few steps, eyes fixed on her target.

"Uh…"

"Hey, thanks for helping us back there, but don't just stand around! If you can fight him, great. But if not, step back so we can handle this." The Red Ranger gestured at her disapprovingly, in all likelihood frowning at her from behind that helmet. At least, he would be frowning if he had a face behind the helmet. Maybe the helmet _was _ his face. Serena didn't claim to be an expert on the physiology of Power Rangers.

"I can too!" The monster chose that moment to interrupt their conversation, coming at the gathered Rangers and Sailor Soldier with a roar. The gathered Rangers rolled out the way with practiced ease while Sailor Moon faltered, but at least Serena's clumsy jump was a bit faster this time.

"We're fighting the monster, not Sailor Moon! Let's focus!" All eyes moved to the Yellow Ranger, who was busy teasing the monster by jumping in front of each tentacle and then jumping out of the way. Was she nuts? The Black Ranger was about to pull her back when he noticed the Blue Ranger joining her. Huh?

As the Yellow Ranger moved one way and the Blue Ranger another, the monster ended up tying its two front tentacles in a knot as he tried to catch both at once. So that's what they were doing. Tricking the monster into tangling its own tentacles and getting stuck. The Red, Black, and Pink Rangers moved into the fray as one, narrowly avoiding a few close calls as they slipped around each other and through the tentacles. Eventually, though, they had it mostly immobilized.

"Well this is great, guys, but how do we get the boy back?" The Black Ranger twirled his axe in his hand absently, at a loss for a solution. The Rangers exchanged glances with each other before turning their attention to Sailor Moon.

"Any ideas?" The Pink Ranger didn't think it could hurt to ask.

Something about the question had triggered Sailor Moon's memory---what had Luna said? She was the one who could heal the boy. _Healing. _Serena instinctively shot her gloved hand to the sky and concentrated, closing her fist as a simple wand topped with a crescent moon formed in her hand. She traced a circle in the air in front of herself, eyes fixed on the monster. Words sprang to her memory in a flash, and she summoned the power from within as though she'd been doing this forever.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" Soft golden light surrounded the monster at her call, sinking into the monster's skin. Fangs disappeared, scales and claws retracted, and in a moment a shivering young boy appeared where their opponent had been a moment ago. Sailor Moon lowered her wand, smiling softly at her first success. The kid seemed to be okay. Hey, maybe she could do it after all!

The Blue Ranger reached the kid first. "Are you experiencing any physical pain from that ordeal?"

Unfortunately, the question seemed to fly right over the kid's head (and the heads of half the heroes too). Thankfully, the Yellow Ranger was there to help.

"He means to ask if you're alright." She offered both the kid and the Blue Ranger comforting pats on the arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay…well I gotta get home. Mom's probably really worried! Thanks!" The kid shot past the gathered heroes with the speed of a late Serena in the mornings.

"Well, he's taking it well. Good for him." The Pink Ranger nodded approvingly. The Rangers passed high fives around for a moment, before they turned to face the girl who had finished the battle.

"Hey—Sailor Moon, was it? We should probably…huh. She's gone already." The Red Ranger folded his arms, staring at the spot where they'd seen her last.

"Guess she's the type who's always on the run." The Pink Ranger sighed. Again with the strangeness…but hey, maybe Zordon could answer a question or two.

"In any case, we should return to the Command Center." The Blue Ranger reached for his belt buckle, and the others followed. In a burst of color and light, that section of the park was empty.

* * *

END PART 2

And that ends Chapter 2. Next chapter: Zordon tries to explain things, the town learns of its newest heroes, and Serena tries to have fun with her newest group of friends. See you then!


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